An Unexpected Venice Vacation Part 4
(See part 3 of Venice Vacation)
I began to gather a care package for Jodi, Lorinda and the kids. I gave them our last trail mix and a couple apples. Lorinda took the kids back to their stateroom to get them to bed. It was now about 10:00 pm. Jodi stopped by our room to tell us that Matt found a room in a hotel on Lido Island, Venice. I was so happy for her. I told her I had been praying for her. I felt so helpless because there was nothing I could do for her. We were leaving and they were stuck.
Saturday, April 17
Aubrey and I were among the 1st group to leave the ship. Buses took us to the airport. When we got off the bus a rep met with each family. “You are one of the lucky ones,” she said. “Delta flight to NYC is one of the only ones still flying today.”
Whoa! We were smiling as we strutted into the airport.
We got to the counter and no one was there.
At the counter there were only 3 ladies ahead of us. One said, “The flight is canceled.” Someone from Delta was to talk to us at 9 am. As people piled up behind us, finally a lady came and announced, “No flights. Maybe tomorrow; maybe Monday.” Neither Delta nor Royal Caribbean was taking responsibility for any other accommodations because of the sheer number of people needing food or housing. They told us we would have a better chance of finding something in small groups. Are they kidding? There are no buses, trains or hotels!
Aub had a few tears. She was ready to be home and wanted to see mom and dad and go to church tomorrow morning to see her friends and tell them about the cruise. We waited in line for a rep to talk to each of us only to say the same thing. “We don’t know. But here is a # to call for information.”
I looked away and had a few tears myself, now, but looked back and told Aub “We are going to get through this. It will be OK.” I guess if it was just me I may have camped out in the airport with the others who were already staking out their spaces. I don’t know. I had a young girl with me and didn’t feel it was an appropriate place for who knows how long. I scoped out the facilities: bathrooms, water fountains, snack foods, people and luggage all over the place.
Just before Jodi left our room last night, as an after thought, she said, “Oh, just in case – here is where we are staying.” And I wrote the address in my notebook. Thank you, Lord.
Before we left the counter we asked about transportation to Lido Island. All I could think about was getting to our family who was still somewhere near Venice. Jodi was savvier about travel in Europe and I felt I needed her. If we could get together we would be alright. The rep told us to check the ALILAGUNA, public transportation to Lido. When we found the counter for the waterbus the lady said, “That will be 50E for two. No, we do not take credit cards. Only Euros.” And definitely no US dollars. I had 30E left from our vacation that I had bought from Jodi.
I had Aub watch the luggage while I tried to find a bank or money exchange. (Jodi taught us that when traveling in Europe you use an ATM with your debit card (no credit cards at ATM’s). I don’t use ATM’s or debit cards. My son also told me (later) that if I read his blog I would have known that the best rate of money exchange is at airports. We had been on a cruise, after all, where one doesn’t have to think about anything. Suddenly we were thrust into a country where we had done no preparation or research.)
On my tour around the airport I found a Water Taxi, 190E for two, round trip. BUT they did take credit cards.
I bought tickets for us to take the water taxi to Lido Island. We had to drag all our luggage about a 10 minute walk, paved, over to the pier where the taxi was waiting for us. On the way over in the taxi I think we went through part of Venice. It was about a 25 minute ride through a bay.
But, I became more and more nervous as to how we were going to get our luggage to a hotel – we didn’t know where or how far after we landed. Our driver didn’t speak much English but I was planning on how I was going to question him. No need. When we boarded the taxi I had shown him the address Jodi had given me. Lido is a long thin island with many water bus and taxi piers. He dropped us off one block from the street the hotel was on.
When we got to the corner I asked a lady who was selling flowers which direction Hotel Helvetia was. (The taxi driver had indicated left.)
After an animated discussion in Italian with another woman-left? or right?-she pointed right and I could see it down the street.
Hotel Helvetia on Gran Viale S Maria Elisa, Lido, Venice, is a clean little hotel. They had rooms for 85E a night. I went without a reservation knowing that hotel rooms were mostly booked. I was going to beg to sleep on the floor in Jodi’s room.
What happened is that because of the volcanic ash people were not only unable to get out but flights were not able to get in. So when they said hotels were all booked they did not consider the ones who did not show up. Rooms WERE available and many keys were still hanging in their spaces the next morning.
We are on Floor 1, room 12. I inquire about Jodi and her family. “Yes, yes, but they are not come yet.” I know that because they weren’t leaving the ship until 1:00 pm. We left a note for Jodi at the desk. The clerk pointed us to a “bar”, what we would call a café, and we had an Italian bread sandwich. I expect Jodi about 3 pm. It is 10:30 now, seems later. Will try to call home later – it must be 3:30 am at home. We are exhausted probably from stress. We both lie down and doze.
We see on CNN that the ash is getting heavier. It occurs to me for the 1st time that we are living through a disaster. We are very fortunate to have a room and food. (Hotels and what I came to call “Table Cloth Restaurants” take credit cards.) It doesn’t seem disastrous except that we are so far from everyone at home.
Posted on October 28, 2010 - Filed Under Beach and Vacation Travel Tips and Help, Travel, Vacation Time
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